


King of Albion

by kbirk



Category: Arthurian Mythology
Genre: Chivalry, F/F, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Jousting, M/M, Magic, Medieval, Mythology - Freeform, Prophecy, Sword Fighting, War, black magic, dragon - Freeform, knights of the round table - Freeform, tournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-23 02:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17674280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kbirk/pseuds/kbirk
Summary: Guinevere is a redheaded, hotheaded woman with a love of adventure. After her father dies, her and her mother move to Camelot and they both end up working in the castle for the Pendragons. A witch announces a dark prophecy that could destroy Arthur's destiny as the Once and Future King. Can Guinevere, with the help of Merlin and the knights of the round table, save Arthur and the kingdom of Albion from a dark fate?I was inspired by the BBC TV show Merlin, but the characters are my own take on the ones from the Arthurian legend.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Guinevere!”  
“Yes mother?” I paused and looked up. Beneath my finger tips was my latest drawing. It depicted a beautiful woman standing atop a lake. A sword was in her hand and it looked as though she was holding it out to someone. I decided that the women needed a flower in her hair and started to draw it.  
“Guinevere?” Oh right, my mother had called. “Are you ready to leave? We have a half a day’s walk and we need to leave now.”  
“I’m sorry mother. I completely forgot.”  
“I noticed.” She laughed. “Good thing we got you packed last night and that you always wear traveling clothes around our house.”  
I also laughed and as I put away my drawing pad in one of my bags and put on my riding boots. “Let’s go I guess.”  
We quickly left our small house. The place had been my home since I was a child but now, I was leaving. Although it was small, the house was warm and homely. In the back it connected to my father’s old forge. The forge had been abandoned since my father died. Now the whole place stood empty. My mother had chosen to sell the place and move to the capital and look for work in the castle. We shouldered our bags and set off down the muddy road that led to Camelot.  
My mother is a beautiful woman. She had long straight dark hair and gentle blue eyes. She was tall, graceful, and could do any task put before her. I on the other hand am short, clumsy, and bad at everything a woman is expected to do. I can’t cook, sew, or clean. I could draw and sing but those talents were not sought out in a servant girl. I also wasn’t normal looking. I have bright red hair, extremely pale skin that burned after a half hour in the sun. My eyes were to big for my face and unusually green. My mother and father told me I was beautiful but I didn’t want to be unusually beautiful, I want to be beautiful like my mother.  
“Gwen, when we get to the castle, we will look for work. We are servants and we must be respectful to everyone we meet. I know you don’t agree with what the king does but you must keep that hidden. He banishes or executes everyone who disagrees with his views. You also must keep your gifts hidden.”  
“Yes mother. I understand.” We walked in silence for the next several hours.  
When the capital walls rose in front of us, I couldn’t help but be excited. The sounds of laughter and music sounded inside the walls. The smell of food, flowers, and exotic spices made my mouth water.  
“Gwen, let’s split up. I want you to look for work in the city and I will go to the castle. Let’s meet up at the castle gates at sunset.”  
“Okay.” I set off into the city. I went into every store I could find and asked if they were hiring help. None seemed interested and I hoped that my mother was having more luck.  
The sun was just starting to dip down into the horizon, when I heard a soft cry and rough voices coming from a dark alley way. I figured I had about an hour before I had to meet my mother so I decided to investigate. I ducked into the alley and paused to let my eyes adjust to the dim light.  
“No! Leave me alone!” The soft voice cried. I picked up my pace and quickly found the source. A small girl in an expensive dress was surrounded by three large men.  
“Leave her alone.” I called. I pulled a knife from my belt as everyone turned to look at me.  
“What are you going to do to make us, bitch?” I raised the knife and the men laughed. “She might catch a good price. Let’s grab her.”  
The largest man reached out and grabbed at my forearm. I ducked out of the way and kicked him hard in the crotch. I then drove the knife down into his leg. He howled in pain and the other two men charged me. I threw my knife at one and watched as it sank into his stomach. The last man was almost on top of me so I grabbed a large piece of brick off the ground and slammed it into the side of his face. He dropped to the ground unconscious.  
I pulled my knife from the seconds man’s stomach and wiped it off on his clothes. I put it back into the folds of my skirt and then turned to the girl. Her eyes were wide and tear tracks stained her face.  
“Are you ok?” I asked. She nodded. “What’s your name?”  
“Morgana.” She replied.  
“That’s a pretty name.”  
“How did you do that?” She gestured toward the fallen men.  
“Lot’s of practice.” I pulled her to her feet and led her out of the alley.  
“Morgana!” We both looked up. A patrol of men dressed in full armor was approaching us. In the lead was a tall blonde man with bright blue eyes.  
“Arthur.” The girl wrapped her arms around Arthur’s waist  
“Are you okay?” He crouched down to look for any injuries.  
“Yes. She saved me.” The girl pointed at me. Arthur stood to study me.  
“There are three men in the alley that I found attacking Lady Morgana.” I explained.  
“I am in your debt. I’m Arthur Pendragon son of Uther Pendragon the king.” He said.  
I bowed low. Shit. I had already run into royalty. “I’m Guinevere, sire.”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Guinevere. Come to the castle and my father will reward you for saving his Ward.”  
“It would be an honor.” I followed the Prince to the castle.  
“Gwen?” We had reached the castle gates and my mother stood waiting outside. “What have you done?’  
I realized that my mother must think that I had been arrested. “Mother, err….”  
“Are you Guinevere’s mother?” The Prince stopped and turned to my mother.”  
“Yes.” She looked terrified.  
“No need to be afraid.” The Prince smiled. “Your daughter saved Lady Morgana’s life.”  
“Oh?” My mother squeaked.  
“Come inside. You both will be rewarded.” Prince Arthur ushered us in and into the throne room.  
My mother and I both bowed low in front of the king. He was cold looking man with graying hair and deep lines around his stormy brown eyes.  
His eyes warmed slightly when he saw the Lady Morgana. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
“Morgana my child, are you okay? Tell me what happened.”  
“My maid, my Lord. We were on a walk in the city. She took me into an alley were three huge men were waiting. Then she abandoned me there. Gwen saved me.” The child pointed at me and the king turned to look at me.  
“You are Gwen?” He asked.  
“Yes Sire. Guinevere my Lord.”  
“Guinevere you will be rewarded. What do you want?”  
I looked over at my mother. She still looked nervous but her eyes shone with pride. “We came to Camelot looking for work Your Majesty. Are there in open positions for my mother and I?”  
“Lady Morgana needs a new maid. Guinevere would you be interested in that position? Your mother may have any job she desires.”  
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty.” My mother and I bowed low again and turned to leave. Before the door closed completely, I heard the king order his men to hunt down Morgana’s old maid and prepare to execute her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Arthur sat alone in his chambers. His mind whirled with questions. Why had Margret, Morgana’s maid, betrayed her? What would have happened if Guinevere hadn’t saved her? Would he have reached Morgana in time to save her?  
He decided to go check on the girl to see if she was settling down. He stood and made his way to the child’s chambers.  
The castle was large and filled with guards. It had always seemed empty and intimidating ever since Arthur was a boy. When he was alone, which was most of the time, he could imagine the ghosts of the people that had been executed in the courtyard haunting the halls. Every time he rounded a corner, he imagined coming face to face with a little ghost child that had been executed for supposedly having magic.   
Finally, he made it to Morgana’s room and knocked. The door opened a crack and he was met by fiery red hair.  
Guinevere was a beautiful woman he decided. Her wide eyes and porcelain skin hid the ferocious women underneath. She was small and gently curved. The green of her eyes was more precious than any emerald in the treasury. Her hair was the color of fire.  
“Your highness.” She bowed low but Arthur caught a look of fierce pride and defiance in her eyes.  
“Guinevere. How is Lady Morgana?”  
“She fell asleep about a half hour ago.”  
“Are you and your mother comfortable in your new positions.”  
“Yes Sire. My mother is working in the royal kitchen and I am enjoying looking out for the Lady Morgana.”  
“Thank you for saving her life. How did you do it?” The spark of defiance flashed in her eyes again.  
“I fought them and killed them. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean that I can’t fight.”  
“That is not what I implied.”  
“Oh really? What did you imply then?” The girl looked pissed but then her mind caught up with her words. “I’m sorry My Lord. I didn’t mean to be rude. Lady Morgana is sleeping right now. Would you like to see her?”  
“No. I’ll let her sleep. I’m sorry that I offended you.” Arthur turned and walked away. The hallways seemed darker. The walls seemed to close around him. The air turned hot and crushing. Everything smelled like death and blood. He couldn’t breathe. Someone was screaming and ghostly figures danced around him.  
Arthur staggered and clutched the wall for support. A woman appeared from the shadows. Blood dripped from her nose and ran from her mouth. Fire licked at her dress and bear arms.  
“Arthur.” She reached out toward his face. “You should have never been born. You killed me, your own mother.”  
Arthur let go of the wall and ran. Fiery fingers shot from his mother and reached to wrap around him.  
“Arthur?” The stench of death lifted and the ghostly figures disappeared. “Are you all right.”  
“Merlin?” Arthur grabbed for the man’s robes. Merlin was a man in his late forties with graying hair and a long beard. He was the court physician and had looked after Arthur for as long as he could remember.  
“Arthur, what’s wrong? It looks as though you’ve seen a ghost.” Merlin pulled him up straight and grasped his shoulders.  
“I think I may have.” Arthur could feel himself shaking. “I saw my mother.”  
Merlin pressed his hand to Arthur’s forehead. “You have a fever. You were hallucinating.”  
“She was burning alive. She said that I killed her.”  
“Arthur you were a newborn infant when your mother died. There is no way that you are responsible for her death. Come to bed and rest. You have had a long and stressful few days. You are ill.”  
Merlin gently led him back to Arthur’s own room. He handed the prince a sleeping draft and then left.  
Arthur considered taking the medicine but decided against it. The idea of sleep was far more terrifying than his waking nightmares. Instead he opened his window and began to climb to the castle roof.  
From the roof he could see the citadel walls and beyond that, the city. It was silent except for the guards who patrolled the walls. The moon shone brightly and glinted off their armor and spear tips. An owl swept down and snatched something from the courtyard. Beyond the city walls lay the forest that was cut through by a long winding road. The road started in the village off the southern coast of the country. It avoided Devil’s Forest and Lake Avalon and then hit Camelot. It then went through another forest, plains, and finally ended in the white mountains.   
As the sun rose, Morgana, followed by Guinevere, entered the courtyard. Arthur watched with mild interest. Gwen pulled out a wooden replica of a knife. She began to walk Morgana through basic blocks and thrusts with the weapon. Morgana quickly took to it and she soon knew how to handle the small weapon.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
The execution of Margret, Morgana’s maid was scheduled for midday. Apparently, Margret had tried to escape in the middle of the night using witchcraft. The guards had caught her mumbling spells that had been rusting the hinges on the cell door. The guards moved her to a different cell, gagged her, bound her from hand to foot, and posted a constant watch to stay with her until the execution occurred.  
Now, Lady Morgana and I stood next to King Uther in the balcony above. A crowd was gathered around the chopping block which was surrounded by guards in brightly polished armor. The knights were distinguishing by long red cloaks. The executioner was dressed in a black cloak with the hood up and a mask.  
As the sun reached its peak, the castle doors opened and Prince Arthur, accompanied by several guards, led Margret to the chopping block. The hushed talking from the crowd stopped.  
“My people,” The King began. “Before you, is a witch who will be executed for her crimes. The practice of sorcery has been banished from Albion for the past twenty years. This woman has been charged with not only the use of sorcery, but the use of it to cause harm to my kingdom, my castle, and my Ward. For this, you are sentenced to death by beheading. Do you have any last words, witch?”  
“I do.” Margret turned away from the king and looked at Arthur. “Arthur Pendragon, a prophecy was spoken by Emrys before you were born. It said that you would unite the lands of Albion and bring peace to the nation for years to come as the once and future king. I speak a different prophecy. You Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon, will suffer greatly at the hands of magic. The fire destruction that took your mother will follow you for the rest of your life. Everyone that you ever love will die in the fires of the hell you and your father have created. You will be betrayed by the people you hold dear. You will lose every friend you ever make. You will watch the women you love die. Finally, you will suffer greatly and die alone and forgotten. Head my words Arthur Pendragon. There is no saving you from you fate.”  
No one spoke when the witch finished her prophecy. Uther’s face was pale and drawn. Arthur had a haunted look in his eyes. Suddenly, a woman dressed in white with long blonde hair and beautiful angled features stood in front of the young prince. Flames rippled around her body. No one else seemed to see her except for me and the Prince. Fiery tendril reached out to ensnare the man. She was saying something but I couldn’t hear what. The look in the Prince’s eyes turned from haunted to absolutely terrified.  
“Is that all you have to say witch?” The King asked. I noticed an old man grab Arthur’s arm. The burning women disappeared.  
“You Uther Pendragon,” Margret turned back to the King. “Are sentenced to death by the people you have persecuted. Magic will drive you mad. You will die by our hands.”  
“Finish it.” The King yelled. A look of rage crossed his face at the mention of magic. The executer grabbed the woman’s head and slammed it down onto the block. The King raised his hand and the executioners axe rose. The King’s hand dropped and the witches head rolled.  
Someone came to drag the body away. The crowd dispersed. Morgana grabbed my hand and pulled me into the castle. We descended the stairs and entered the great hall. Arthur and several guards plus the old man. Up close the man didn’t look quite as old. He was probably in his forties. He had a large beard and eyebrows that reminded me of the caterpillars that thrived in the meadow beyond my old village. The man wore a blue robe and a pair of chamber slippers poked out from underneath it. His eyes were grey and held a vast amount of knowledge in them.  
“Arthur are you alright?” Morgana reached for the Prince’s hand. I realized that I wasn’t the only one who noticed the man’s haunted eyes.  
“Yes Morgana. Are you alright? That was an ugly show.”  
“She deserved it.”  
“You’re right. She did.” Arthur ran a hand over her hair distractedly. “I saw you practicing with a wooden knife this morning. How did it go?”  
Morgana’s eyes lit up. “It went well. Gwen taught me how to use one after we asked permission from his Majesty.”  
“Good. I’m glad he approved. It’s important for a beautiful young woman to know how to defend herself and the people around her.” Arthur nodded in my direction. I realized that he was probably trying to apologize for seeming to imply that I shouldn’t be able to defend myself. “You can’t do much with a wooden dagger though. I believe that it’s time for us to go birthday shopping for you.”  
Morgana grinned. “Of course. Its mine and Gwen’s birthday tomorrow.”  
“I remember. We should leave early tomorrow.”  
The girl agreed and then turned to the old man. “Gwen, this is Merlin the court physician.”  
I nodded to him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  
“Likewise.” He smiled at me but the lines around his eyes were tight. He kept glancing at the retreating back of the Prince.  
“I’m scheduled to have lunch with the King, Gwen. You can have the rest of the afternoon off.” Morgana said.  
“Alright. Thank you, My Lady.” She smiled and kissed me on the cheek. Then she skipped of to the meet the King. I looked to where Arthur disappeared around a corner.  
I was left alone with Merlin and he noticed me looking after the Prince. “Don’t be so quick to judge those you don’t understand.”  
“What?”  
“The Prince. You dislike him, don’t you?”  
“I don’t think I’m allowed to say.”  
“True. His father would probably condemn you to death for speaking bad about any Pendragon, but Arthur is not his father.”  
“I don’t know. I haven’t known him long enough to decide.”  
“Alright Guinevere, but don’t let your fear and hate for his father cloud your judgement.” With that, the old man turned and walked away.  
I was left speechless for a few minutes. Finally, I turned and went to find my mother.


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin was getting old. The creaking in his joints every time he ascended the many sets of stairs in the castle gave it away. Unfortunately, his workshop lay in one of the great towers and he needed to climb dozens of stairs to get there.  
The execution that afternoon had bothered him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see the woman’s death. She had deserved it. The problem was the increase of activity in the dark magic circles. For them to announce a new prophecy was terrifying. The old prophecy had stood for centuries and was know by every creature connected to magic. It declared Arthur to be the Once and Future king of Albion. A new dark prophecy meant that every dark creature would work to change Arthur’s destiny and curse the entire land.  
As much as that worried Merlin, the young Prince worried him more. It had taken him nearly two minutes to snap the boy from his trance the night before. For the past four years, the boy had been haunted by his mother’s ghost along with every unfortunate soul that died inside the walls of Camelot. Merlin still didn’t know what had triggered the haunting and he still couldn’t figure out how to end it. At the beginning it hadn’t been that bad. Quickly forgotten nightmares and harmless shadows had followed the boy. Now, the dead Queen was almost completely formed and unwillingly tormented her son. Now the boy barely ate and rarely slept. He refused to drink Merlin’s sleeping potions because he was scared that he would be trapped in a nightmare and unable to wake up.  
Merlin changed course from his workshop and headed toward the Prince’s chambers. He knocked on the door and heard the Prince call him in. He opened the door and found Arthur sitting at his desk with a book in his hands.  
“Merlin.” He greeted.  
“Your Highness.” Merlin responded. The Prince was younger that most people realized. He had just recently turned nineteen but because of his reserved nature and gentle wisdom most people believed him to be older. He looked like his mother with kind blue eyes and golden hair. When Arthur was a child, he grew his hair long and it curled around his shoulders. Now, he cut it short so that it wouldn’t hinder his fighting. The King could barely look at his son because of how much he resembled his late mother. Arthur knew it and it hurt him more than anyone could understand.  
“Merlin, was that a prophecy?” Arthur put his book down and turned his full attention on the physician.  
“Arthur, as you know, there are two types of ‘magic’.” Merlin sat down in one of the chairs next to Arthur’s desk. “There is black magic and good magic. Good magic is less magic and more becoming one with nature. There are five elements to it: fire, water, earth, wind, and lightening. Any human can access those elements and use them in a logical way. You cannot light water on fire or create a mountain in the sky. There are creatures of magic and they exist with magic. They are able to access all magic and they can use it in ways that do not make sense to our mortal minds. Fairies, dragons, trolls, etc. These are connected to the land and its future. Two dragons foretold you birth Arthur. A red dragon and a white dragon fought beneath the waters of an underground lake. Their battle disturbed the ground and nothing could be built there. When the water was drained and the dragons discovered, the prophecy of you birth and destiny was also discovered. The White dragon foretold of the Saxons and the Red of the people of Albion. After a long struggle, the red dragon won and the ground and the lake settled down into peace.”  
“Merlin, you’ve told me this story before and it still makes no sense. What does any of this have to do about Margret’s prophecy?”  
“I believe that her prophecy came from black magic. Black magic is something that goes against the world’s natural flow. Margret and other sorcerers are trying to disrupt the flow of destiny by changing your fate.”  
“You make it sound like some magic is good and some is bad.”   
“It is. But not all black magic is used for evil. Your birth came about by black magic. Your mother was barren so your birth was naturally impossible. A witch used black magic to allow you to be born and fulfill your destiny. Some good magic is used for evil. Your mother was killed by a fire started by ‘good’ magic.”  
“It still makes no sense.” Arthur sighed. He seemed deep in thought for several minutes. “Why did the witch say that the fire that killed my mother was my fault?”  
“Arthur, I have told you over and over again. Nothing that happened to your mother was your fault.”  
“You said it was the fever before, but why does she haunt me?”  
“I do not know who roused her from the sleep of death, but it has been caused by magic and I will find a way to fix it.”


	5. Chapter 5

Mythian jumped as her daughter Guinevere barged into the room and nearly tripped over the kitchen cat. The girl had always been a bit of a klutz except when she was fighting. When she was young, she used to fight in the streets of their village with the young boys. Her father had decided to put her to work in the forge and she had calmed down quite a bit.  
“Mom, what are you cooking.” The red head peered over Mythian’s shoulder and snagged a dumpling off a cooling rack.  
“Gwen. What have I told you about stealing food?”   
“It isn’t stealing if it doesn’t belong to anyone yet.”  
“It belonged to me. I cooked it.” Mythian sighed. Gwen kissed the side of her head and started poking around the rest of the kitchen looking for more food to snag. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”  
“Nope. I have the rest of the afternoon off.”  
“Great. You can work off all the food your stealing. Gwen take the trash out.”  
“Mother.” The girl rolled her eyes but picked up the bucket of trash and hauled it out of the room. Mythian sighed and turned back to her dumplings.   
Gwen had always been a high maintenance child. She was full of energy and a deep sense of pride. She also had a rigid set of morals that she held everyone to. She never went against her morals and she had a low tolerance for people who did. She could be highly judgmental and had a hard time accepting people who she believed where evil. Some people deserved her single-minded fury. She had driven slave traders and child abusers out of town, but some people she just wouldn’t listen to. A young prostitute had wandered through their village and Gwen had been so angry.  
Mythian often had to sit down with her headstrong daughter and explain to her that some people didn’t deserve her hate. Instead she needed to find ways to help them. Mythian was pretty sure she would have to sit down with her daughter again to discuss the King and his son. Gwen had spent the entire trip to Camelot complaining about the cruelty of the King and how the Prince was no better. Not only was it dangerous to bad mouth the Pendragons, she also didn’t understand why either of them acted the way they did. The mother decided to speak with Gwen when she got back from taking out the trash.  
She didn’t wait long. Gwen burst into the room and Mythian told her to sit down.  
“Am I in trouble again?”  
“No. I want to talk to you about your feelings for the Pendragons.”  
“So, I am in trouble.”  
“Gwen, you aren’t in trouble for your own opinions and viewpoints, but as you know, you are not always good at understanding other’s views. Tell me about what you dislike about the Pendragons.”  
“I don’t hate all of them. Lady Morgana is a total sweetheart.”  
“Well that is good seeing as how you are working for her.” Mythian started, but was quickly interrupted as Gwen started one of her rants.  
“But it’s Prince Arthur and the King that piss me off.” Mythian quickly checked to make sure that they were alone and wouldn’t be interrupted. “The woman from this morning didn’t even have a fair trial. She gets accused of treason and is sentenced to get her head chopped off. Her having magic was just a bonus but if their royal asses had found out that her only crime was magic, she still would have had her head chopped off. Or she would have been burned at the stake. Just the mention of magic sets them on a killing frenzy. It’s not fair to us magic users that even the smallest spell can get you killed.”  
The girl went on and on. She mentioned the taxes the King imposed upon the people, the constant fighting with the Saxons, and how only nobles could become knights. It took her almost twenty minutes to finish her complaints about the King.  
“And the Prince, don’t even get me started on him.” And then she started complaining about all of the Prince’s faults. She talked about how many servants he had. How he couldn’t even put on his own armor without his manservant. How he hadn’t worked to feed himself a day in his life, and how he went along and supported his father’s decisions without question.  
Mythian took a few minutes to consider her answer. “Gwen, do you know how and when the queen died?”  
“Yeah she died after she gave birth to Arthur. Someone set her room on fire.”  
“I’m going to start at the beginning of the story. Queen Igraine was barren. The King and Queen were desperate for an heir. Back then magic was legal and respected. They went to a good friend, Mordred, and asked him to help the Queen conceive. Mordred agreed and used black magic to allow the Queen to bare a child. Some magicians who used ‘good magic’ were outraged that Mordred had used dark magic and decided to murder the baby Prince and his mother. They snuck into the castle and burned the Queen alive as punishment for using black magic. Miraculously, Arthur survived the fire. The King was devastated at the loss of his wife and hunted down his wife’s murderers and burned them at the stake. More magic users and many magical creatures retaliated for the death of their brothers and sisters. The King hunted all of them down and killed them also. Soon, an all-out war started and all forms of magic was banned from the kingdom. The King allowed Mordred to leave the country because of their friendship.”  
“So, what?”  
“Gwen can you imagine losing the person you love the most or growing up without your mother and almost without a father.”  
“We lost Dad.”  
“True, but at least we still have each other.”  
“Suffering is no excuse for turning into a murderous tyrant.”  
“If you didn’t have me, where would you be right now?”  
“In prison for insulting the wrong person.” Gwen joked. Mythian laughed but realized how true that was.  
“Where would you be without your father?”  
“Probably still fighting with the boys out in the streets.”  
“Exactly. Now try putting yourself in the Prince’s shoes. Your mother died when you were a baby. Your father barely looks at you because of how much you resemble her. Your father raised you with a deep hatred for everything magical.” Mythian then thought back to the execution from earlier that day and the fiery woman reaching for the Prince. “Imagine being haunted by your own mother.”  
“You saw that too?”  
“Yes Gwen. Something disturbed the Queen’s spirt and sent it after her son.”


	6. Chapter 6

The morning of Morgana’s and my birthday was bright and beautiful. I had just turned seventeen and Morgana was now thirteen.  
I rose and dressed quickly in one of my nicer dresses and then went to help Morgana dress. I knocked on her door and then poked my head inside. Lady Morgana was already awake and eating breakfast.  
“Happy Birthday!” I said as I entered. Her face lit up and she also wished me a happy birthday. “How did you sleep?”  
“Really well, but I woke up super early because I was so excited for today.”  
“I’m sorry I wasn’t in sooner.”  
“That’s okay. It’s your birthday too.” I smiled and opened up her closet.  
“What do you want to wear shopping today?” I began shifting through dozens of beautiful dresses that I would never be able to afford and probably never want to wear. My eyes landed on a simple pale blue dress and pulled it out. “This is beautiful and won’t be to difficult to wear out in town.”  
She got up and looked at the dress. “Yeah. It’s hard to wear some of the frillier dresses without tripping of having people accidently step on the ends.”  
I helped her out of her dressing gown and into the dress. I then pulled out a pair of simple brown shoes made of soft leather and held them up to show her. She nodded and pulled them on. By the time Prince Arthur knocked on the door, we were completely ready to leave.  
“Good morning Morgana. Good morning Guinevere. Happy birthday to both of you.” Arthur greeted.   
“Morning!” The girl wrapped her older step brother in a hug and then twirled around to show off her dress. “Gwen picked out this dress for me. I didn’t even know that I had it.”  
“It’s very beautiful.” Arthur said. “Are you ready to leave. I remember promising you something a little more dangerous than a wooden knife.”  
“Yes.” The girl replied. “Let’s go.”  
We walked through the castle and out onto the front steps. A patrol of guards met us there and we headed into the city. Arthur decided to stop by the blacksmith first to look at daggers for Morgana. After that we would browse through the shops and street vendors and see what was being sold.  
Morgana skipped ahead and chatted with the guards. Two knights accompanied her and she basked in their attention. Arthur hung back with me.  
“Are you happy here?” He asked. “Is the work alright?”  
“Yes, thank you Your Highness.” I replied. “Lady Morgana is an amazing girl and very kind.”  
Arthur nodded. He looked tired and a little sad.  
“I owe you and apology.” I started. He glanced over at me, surprised. “The other night I got angry with you because I thought you implied that because I was a woman, I shouldn’t fight.”  
He didn’t reply for a few seconds and I began to worry that I had pissed him off. “It’s rare to meet a woman that knows how to fight.” He began. “I wish more did. In some ways, woman fight better than men. Because they aren’t as physically large as a man, they use their brain and fight with incredible accuracy and efficiency. I’m glad your teaching Morgana how to also fight.”  
“Thank you, Your Highness, but that doesn’t excuse me for snapping at you.”  
“I wish more people did. Because I’m the Prince, people don’t tell me what they think, but if I want to become king, I need to know people’s true opinion.”  
I was surprised by his answer. I remembered my mother’s words from the night before. “So, you want people to be completely honest with you in all matters?”  
“I think so. My Father believes that a king should be firm in his decisions and not listen to the advice of others because it makes him look indecisive. I don’t want to rule like that. He’s basically ruling the entire country of Albion alone and that idea scares me.”  
“Sometimes you can’t trust the advice of other people though. Everyone has their own motivations and are working for their own gain.” I countered. “Why should you listen to the advice of those people?”  
“Just because they’re working for their own gain doesn’t mean they don’t have some piece of wisdom to share. I don’t think there isn’t a person alive that isn’t working toward their own gain, but every single viewpoint has a bit of truth to it. I just need to be able to find and add it to my own.” Explained Arthur. I thought about that for a few minutes.   
“So, you want people to be brutally honest with you?” I asked. He thought about the question for a few seconds.  
“I don’t want people to be rude with their honesty. I would rather sit down with a person and have discussion about their opinions and my own. Why do we disagree? What background do we come from that gives us different opinions? What is the best solution that can suit both our needs equally?”  
I could feel my head spinning. Merlin had told me not to judge the prince to quickly and my mother had asked me to put myself in the Prince’s shoes. Neither of them had prepared me for the Arthur’s wisdom.  
“You are going to be a great king one day.” I decided. Arthur looked surprised for a second.  
“Thank you, but I don’t think many people would agree with you_”  
“Arthur! Gwen! We’re here!” Morgana called. We had reached the blacksmith’s shop. We walked in and a wave of nostalgia hit me. The shop was filled with beautiful swords, knives, kitchen ware, and delicate jewelry. In the back of the shop was the forge. A young boy was working to keep the forge at the optimal temperature. A man, presumably the boy’s father, greeted us with a deep bow.  
“What can I do for you, Your Highnesses?”  
“We are looking for a small dagger for Lady Morgana.” Arthur replied. The man bowed low again and then began searching through his display of weapons.  
“If you will excuse me for one second, I have another collection of weapons in the back. It’s dangerous to keep my best pieces in the front.”  
“Of course.” Arthur nodded. The man went into the back and began looking through his better pieces. Morgana started to browse through the jewelry. I joined her and we admired the delicate necklaces and earrings.  
“I’ll bring out some of my best jewelry if you are interested.” The man called.  
“Yes please.” Morgana said. She then went and whispered something in Arthur’s ear. He smiled and nodded.  
The man brought out six beautiful daggers with sheathes and seven necklaces and a few sets of earrings. I showed Morgana how to test if a dagger was balanced. I then showed her how to choose which one fit her grip. We ended up choosing a small dagger with a silver blade and a leather grip. The pommel had a blue sapphire, and thin wires of gold wrapped around the hilt. The sheath was also silver with gold wires creating beautiful designs around it.  
Arthur paid and we headed out into town. We looked through food stands selling everything from bread to exotically colored head scarves. Morgana fell in love with a dark blue scarf and Arthur bought it. Arthur and two knights decided to stop for lunch, but the rest of us kept going. After they caught up, we shopped for another half hour and then we headed back to the castle.   
When we got back to the castle, Morgana pulled me back to her chambers.  
“What?” I asked. They both smiled but didn’t respond.  
In Morgana’s room, a woman was waiting for us with several large and small packages.  
“Guinevere, correct?” The woman asked. I nodded. She noticed the confused look on my face and smiled.  
“I’ve been asked to make you a dress for the party tonight.” She explained. She picked up a measuring tape and started taking my measurements.  
“We are the two birthday girls tonight.” Said Morgana.  
“Is that what you and Prince Arthur were whispering about all morning?”  
“Yes.”  
“Alright. I’m done getting your measurements. I’ll have the dress ready soon.” The woman announced. She picked up all of the packages and left.  
“Let’s go practice with my new knife.” Said Morgana.


End file.
